Key Features:

• Unlimited menus using any mix of photographic still or video backgrounds with or without audio, from 1 to 36 buttons per menu, either flat and hierarchical menu systems, menu linking by use of Next, Previous and Return buttons, menu times outs, highlighted roll over button effects, text and highlighted text buttons and much more.

• Automated Transcoding of non-compliant content files to DVD ready format with filtering if necessary is provided for. Filters for frame rate conversion, sample size conversion, sample rate conversion, color space conversion, and frame size conversion are built into this automated process.

• Visual video chapter editor with automated scene detection feature speeds and simplifies the task of assigning chapters to video streams. Enhanced chapter features allow chapter ommision, out of sequence chapter play, random chapter play, shuffle mode chapter play, and exclusive chapter play are a few of the chapter programming capabilities.

• Multiple video tracks to the maximum of 99 allowed by DVD, subdivided into 1 to 99 chapters. Address tracks and chapters from any point within the title and link menu buttons to tracks or chapters. Play chapters sequential, randomly or shuffle mode. Use chapters as entry points or as exclusive (independent) play items.

• Create hybrid DVD discs comprised of both a DVDVideo title authoring using ViaDVD and other DVD-ROM content files authored using suitable 3rd party tools. A must have feature for the creation of WinDVD and WebDVD titles.

• Write directly to all DVD R and RW recorders, to most CD R and RW recorders and to all DLT tape drives. Use CD R/RW to create miniDVDs. Use DLT to transport titles to mass replication plants. By default all compiled titles are written to hard disk thus allowing use of DVD emulator software on the PC (such as WinDVD) for title testing.

A true measure of an authoring tool is the degree of diversity of supported content file formats and types, a comfortable subject area for ViaDVD.

• Graphic and photographic image files are used in DVD titles for still image displays stills with audio, slide shows with or without audio and as background display screens on menus. ViaDVD supports all industry standard file formats and automatically does format conversion where necessary. Image files are transcoded to DVDVideo MPEG2 file format automatically using a proprietary transcoder that delivers still image quality equaling that of the original image file. The most commonly used file types for DVD authoring includes BMP, JPG, GIF, PCD and TIF with many other optional formats supported as well but less frequently used. For best results image files will have a resolution of 720 by 480 (by 576 if PAL) using 24 or 32 bits per pixel. Any other resolution and color depth can be used as ViaDVD automatically converts to the required DVD format.

• DVD ready MPEG2 video files (elementary streams) are supported and provide very good titling results. These files are typically created using 3rd party MPEG encoder equipment or software encoders. ViaDVD value checks the input files to verify compatibility with DVDVideo.

• MPEG1 and MPEG2 video files non-conforming to DVD are accepted and transcoded to DVD compliant format.

• MPEG1 and 2 audio files are used as is if conforming to DVD parameter set and are automatically transcoded to compliant format if not compatible in original form.

• PCM (WAV) files are used unmodified if compatible with DVD or automatically transcoded to DVD format if necessary. Those in the quality conscious audiophile community take notice; ViaDVD is the only tool in its price range to support both 48K and 96K sample rate PCM audio files for input to DVD.

• Dolby AC3 files in all legal configurations, including 5.1 (6 channel) surround sound, are supported.

• Importing existing DVDVideo VOB files provides one of the quickest ways of turning existing DVD content into new DVD titles.

• Use AVI and Quick Time movie files no matter what format or frame rate. Automatic transcoding handles all conversion requirements to compliant DVD VOB format.

• 99 video tracks and 99 chapters per track

• Movies, stills and slideshows

• 8 audio tracks

• 32 subtitle tracks

• Slideshow support

• DVD-5 and DVD-9 support

• UDF/ISO 9660/Joliet formatting

• 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio support

• Next, Previous, and Return link programming

• Menu button command programming

• Chapter point programming

• Link to chapter points

• Chapter Entry and Exclusive Play programming

• 36 buttons per menu

• Unlimited menus, flat and hierarchical menu systems

• Unrestricted menu visual effects

• NTSC: 29.97 fps (525 lines, 60 Hz)

• PAL: 25 fps (625 lines, 50 Hz)

• MPEG-2 (ISO-13818-2) Main Profile and Main Level

• MPEG-2 resolutions: 720 x 480 or 720 x 576

• DVD-compliant VOB streams

• Dolby Digital mono, stereo or surround sound

• MPEG-1 Layer II, mono or stereo stereo

• MPEG-2 Layer II, mono, stereo or multi channel

• PCM, WAV, 16-bit, 24-bit, 48 KHz, 96 KHz, mono, stereo

Transcoding Support

• AVI files, including DV (requires DirectX 8.1 or better)

• Quick Time files (requires QT 5 or better)

• MPEG1 as MPV, MPA and MPG

• MPEG2 as M2V, MPA and M2P

• VOB files

• BMP, JPEG, PICT, TIFF (and others)

• WMV/WMA and ASF (requires DirectX 8.1 or better)

• MP3 audio files

Proofing and Previewing

• Instant menu preview as you author

• Instant navigation preview as you author

• Preview from hard disk

Output Options

• DVD-R/RW recorders

• DVD+R/RW recorders

• CD-R/RW recorders

• DLT tape drives

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